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Science news this week: Atlantic current edges closer to collapse, scientists make artificial-neuron breakthrough, and a copy of the 'Iliad' is found inside an Egyptian mummy
April 25, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend
The AMOC moves closer to collapse, scientists create artificial neurons, the "Iliad" is found inside and Egyptian mummy, and researchers search for treatments for brain-eating amoebas
(Image credit: Petr Horálek/Josef Kujal | andrej67 via Getty images)
Tiny, artificial neurons that can communicate with real brain cells could lay the groundwork for more advanced computers and computer-brain interfaces. A new study we reported on this week used inks laced with flakes of semiconductors and conductors printed onto a polymer substrate to create neurons.
These artificial neurons produced electrical spiking patterns that closely resembled those in human brains, while the flexibility of the polymer enabled a complex and evolving artificial neural architecture to take shape.
When placed next to mouse neurons in the lab, the artificial neurons caused the real neurons to fire at the same pace — strongly suggesting that the two could communicate the same signals. Although a lot of work remains, the finding could be the first step toward creating computers with human-like neural structures.
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Ever had a book you just couldn't put down? A Roman-era mummy in Egypt may have you beat, having been found with part of Homer's epic poem the "Iliad" inside its abdomen.
The mummy dates to between 30 B.C. and A.D. 641, when the Romans controlled Egypt, and was found within a cemetery in the modern-day town of Al-Bahnasa, which was known as Oxyrhynchus in ancient times.
Little is known about the ancient bookworm, aside from him being an adult man, but he was discovered at the same cemetery as dozens of other mummies with golden tongues, which ancient Egyptians believed granted them the power to speak with the gods in the afterlife.
Brain-eating amoebas are comparatively rare infections, yet they are almost always fatal. Thriving in warm fresh water, they charge into the body like "a bull in a china shop," destroying brain tissue on a massive scale. As climate change heats waters, possibly expanding these microorganisms' range, Live Science reported on the race to create groundbreaking treatments to kill them.
Something for the weekend
If you're looking for things to keep you busy over the weekend, here are some of the best interviews and quizzes published this week.
Photographers Petr Horálek and Josef Kujal captured this extraordinary cosmic coincidence on April 18 in the skies over the ruins of the 15th-century Kunětická Hora Castle in the Czech Republic, with the "Great Comet of 2026" contender crossing paths with a fireball meteor in the sky to form a giant X. Don't tell Elon Musk.
Ben Turner is a U.K. based writer and editor at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess.
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